Chapter 131: Yuhu Palace

Chapter 131: Yuhu Palace

"I beg to see my mistress! Please grant me a name, Mistress!" Cui Ke said excitedly.

Yunli smiled. She hadn't planned to change it, but since he requested it himself, not granting it would make him uneasy.

Actually, Cui Ke was quite clever; she had seen his potential from the start, and he knew it too. Not bad.

"In that case, let's call you Bai Lu. Rest assured, my eunuchs, including you, will have a future. Later, you can even adopt a child. When you can no longer serve, you'll have your way out. As for my service, aside from close attendance, there are many other tasks like tending flowers and cleaning. There's always a place to go. But if you're disloyal, there's only one way out. I believe you've thought it through before coming to me."

"Mistress, rest assured, I understand. Thank you for granting me a name," Cui Ke bowed earnestly three times.

From then on, he became the eunuch by Qiongmei's side.

Many in Le'an Palace wanted to serve Qiongmei, but not everyone had the chance.

If it weren't for Cui Ke, who had been used by Yunli many times before, he wouldn't have had this opportunity.

In the end, he didn't mention being taken in by the beauty, waiting instead to bring it up when they moved.

Yuqu Palace had been refurbished, but the moving day was set for the third day of the third month, so she hadn't moved yet.

However, belongings had already started to be transferred there. Over these two years, Yunli had accumulated quite a lot.

The various rewards and her personal belongings added up to a significant amount.

Just the rewards from the Emperor, including fabrics, jewelry, ornaments, and antiques, filled an entire room.

Yunli decided to reward everyone left in Le'an Palace. After all, they had shared two years of companionship.

Receiving the rewards, everyone was joyful and also reluctant to part.

Over these two years, they had watched Qiong Beauty rise from an imperial maid.

During incidents in the palace, it was she who protected the people here.

Now leaving them with Ye Baolin, it's uncertain how well things will go.

When will anyone be able to live in this main hall again? Sigh...

Finally, on the moving day, a table was set in Yuqu Palace.

Yunli didn't invite anyone, planning to dine alone unless the Emperor came.

However, by noon, the Emperor did arrive.

Yunli wore a silver-pink dress, her hair styled in beautiful twin swords buns, adorned with red gold, agate, and pearl jewelry.

Tassels dangled by her ears.

The ends of her eyes were tinted red, with eyeliner slightly upturned.

Her eyebrows were neat, long, and soft.

A touch of red at the center of her eyebrows, it's indeed a peach blossom petal.

Her lips tinted with rouge, as she walked towards him, her eyes held nothing but him.

"Your Majesty, may you be infinitely tranquil."

He Jinyin helped her up, lowering his gaze, he hadn't seen her dressed up like this since she fell into the water.

Indeed, she was more suited to this, like the gorgeous clouds at the horizon.

Not like that day, weak and pale.

"Do you like it?" He Jinyin asked.

Yunli glanced at the cluster of ten different flowers in the corridor.

Yunli's smile was genuine: "I like it. I like everything given by Your Majesty."

He Jinyin took her hand and led her inside.

As Yunli entered, she glanced again at those yet-to-bloom ten different flowers, wondering if the person who would occupy the main hall in the future would like them.

Even if they did, knowing these flowers were from the Emperor, they wouldn't like them anymore.

What to do then? She could only live in the main hall herself.

Being a beautiful second-rank consort was indeed a bit distant. But it didn't matter; wasn't this how she would live her life?

Moreover, He Jinyin's promptness in asking her to move might imply that he wanted her to reside here permanently.

Upon entering, Yunli turned back, reaching to embrace the Emperor's neck.

She wasn't tall enough, so she tiptoed, tilting her head to look at the Emperor, without saying a word. Only her affectionate eyes, like hooks, hooked He Jinyin.

He Jinyin hugged her waist, "Is Yun'er being so proactive today?"

Yunli pouted, "Your Majesty, hold me."

He Jinlin's eyebrows raised slightly, bending to lift her up, "Really good at being coquettish."

"Is it light enough now? Your Majesty probably doesn't even remember, hmph," Yunli lightly kicked her foot, sounding reproachful.

He Jinlin smiled, bouncing her a bit, not commenting on whether it was light or not, thinking it probably wasn't heavy before either.

Of course, when he lifted her after she fell into the water that day, she was indeed heavy, her clothes soaked through.

Thinking of this, her appearance that day flashed through his mind.

Pale, fragile, yet bursting with such fierceness.

He Jinlin sat by the window, holding her in his arms, "Yun'er, it's quite surprising when you get fierce."

"Your Majesty, please don't mention it. I was going to thank you. Now you're bringing it up, it's embarrassing," Yunli cuddled up to He Jinlin's neck, being playful.

"Oh? What is Yun'er going to thank me for?" He Jinlin held her waist, asking.

"Your Majesty is so naughty, I won't say," Yunli reached out, cupping his face. She kissed his brow bone, "Your Majesty knows."

He Jinlin just smiled and didn't pursue further.

He seemed to, indeed, know.

Her behavior that day was extraordinary.

Yet, he didn't punish her or bring it up.

She understood that, and it was good.

In He Jinlin's eyes, the palace concubines could act coquettish, but they must remain within bounds.

And Yunli, knowing what she was doing even when acting coquettish, was even better.

So, he grabbed her hand, lowered his head, and kissed her eyes.

Yunli closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

He Jinlin looked at her delicate face and those rosy, beautiful lips, then leaned over and bit down.

After a while, inside the room, Yunli complained, "Your Majesty, you're not considerate..."

"Yun'er, you're perfectly fine. I consulted the imperial physician, so you're capable of exerting yourself," replied He Jinlin.

Yunli snorted and rolled over, straddling him, and leaned down, propping herself up on her arms to look at him, "Your Majesty, you're truly delicious to look at."

The emperor, teased, just smiled, "Then, Yun'er, go ahead and eat."

In the presence of such beauty, not indulging would be a shame.

Yunli, not feeling tired at all, bent down and took a bite before officially digging in.

Having had her fill, regardless of the emperor, Yunli rested on top of him.

He Jinlin smiled helplessly, rolled over, and began to eat himself.

That night, the emperor naturally stayed at the Jade Canal Palace.

In the Le'an Palace, Ye Baolin sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the stars in the sky.

It was a beautiful night, not too cold.

She looked up at the starry sky for a long time.

The attendants draped a cloak over her.

Ye Baolin said, "Suddenly, it feels strange. With so many people gone, it's become desolate."

The attendant remarked, "Indeed, since Lady Qiong left, there have been more departures."

Another attendant remained silent, sighing inwardly. Baolin felt the desolation, perhaps not solely because of Lady Qiong's absence.

It's more likely that with Lady Qiong gone, His Majesty might spend less time here, wouldn't you think?

Unfortunately, what could be done about it? Relying on others is always futile.